What would you advised a teen who is looking for a college major with good earning potential?

[Anonymous]

Owner of a small engineering business. When I interview prospective employees, it's instant validation of their capability to succeed if they hold the following degrees, not in any particular order of importance: engineering, computer science (not IT), accounting (not Finance), math, and physics. It has been my personal experience those who have earned degrees in these fields are intelligent, disciplined, and more organized than most. As with the PP, if they graduated from US colleges and top schools, they get a bonus. BTW, I personally don't have a STEM degree, but sure wish I put forth the sacrifice as it would have made me much more successful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whatever major they decide make sure they have a liberal arts minor or take classes that require writing. I find that employees who can actually write a decent memo and string together sentences do best. I am amazed by how many adults cannot write.

This. I certainly won't advise against a STEM or finance.

However, it is important to not to forget the forest by staring too closely at one tree. Job experience and skills land jobs. It is best to have both specific skills (that have actually been used in real-world settings) and a demonstrated ability to think deeply and well. A broad foundation makes it easier to tackle novel problems or switch careers. Oral and written communication skills and incisive, on-point thinking is always a boon. I strongly recommend a liberal arts minor to go with a math/science degree, or vice versa.

My husband majored in German but took some programming classes on the side in graduate school. He became a developer. It's definitely important to have some technical classes, but honestly a lot of what he knows he learned on the fly---and even students with full computer degrees have to get out in the tall grass and learn as they go. The classwork is important, but the actual problems never look like the textbook pages. When hiring, DH learned early to prefer candidates with some work experience, not just degrees.

With all the emphasis on STEM, let me add: Nurses and physicians assistants are in high demand.

[Anonymous]

Business or IT. You don't necessarily need an master's for IT. Tell him to keep off the drugs and stay clean and get a clearance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Business or IT. You don't necessarily need an master's for IT. Tell him to keep off the drugs and stay clean and get a clearance.

I have a friend with no college degree who got started in IT out of the Navy. He has a clearance and has never been employed longer than three days. He makes good money, and if he doesn't like a job, he just finds a new one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the kid just wants a comfortable life with a stable income, STEM is the way to go. But if he wants to be Richie Rich rich, school is not the answer.

I don't understand the obsession with STEM. Yes - they do start off doing well at age 22; a 22 yr old making 80k is a solid start. But am I the only one who knows engineer after engineer whose job was outsourced once they got into their 40-50s? It happens in every engineering field from mech to electrical to IT; there are countries where there are a lot of grads with very solid math skills -- companies like GE and many small players move entire projects to those companies bc they pay engineers there 30k/yr, instead of 100k to a 50 yr old here. Sure when an entire project requiring 50 engineers is outsource, only about 35-45 jobs will go and 5-15 will be retained here to "manage" the project -- but you're still playing a numbers game.

I think you are ill informed. Most engineers graduating in the US have excellent career prospects. It has always been this way. There is currently a shortage and always will be of US educated engineers, who can speak and write, and obtain a security clearance. Who do you think all of the govt contractors and the feds themselves hire? I am an BSEE VT graduate and have never had an issue with finding work...going on almost 50 now. Most of us with just the original BS EE, BS ME average annual salary close to $175K. I have several friends who own engineering/IT firms in the area and have approached colleges like VT, UVA, etc and have pledged they will hire every graduate of theirs with an engineering or computer science degree. In addition, if you are a girl pursuing an engineering degree, your are highly likely to secure the the most merit aid, particularly at private colleges.

Ok must just be the engineers I know bc I can think of at least a dozen who were laid off and had to hustle to get a job in Alabama and live in a commuter marriage so as not to rip their kids out of high school or had to "early retire." Of course I didn't grow up in an economically vibrant area like DC so maybe that plays in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Business or IT. You don't necessarily need an master's for IT. Tell him to keep off the drugs and stay clean and get a clearance.

I have a friend with no college degree who got started in IT out of the Navy. He has a clearance and has never been employed longer than three days. He makes good money, and if he doesn't like a job, he just finds a new one.

Sorry, I meant he has never been unemployed longer than three days!

Also, three days is an slightly exaggeration. But he can put his name out and be working again within a pay period. I've seen him do it multiple times now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also seek out the premed hotties

Make sure to date for good earning potential too

I feel like this was sarcastic, but I am going to be honest here. I met my DH when I was 19 in college. At that point, I loved him and did not care that he was saddled with student debt, was going into education, and had a family with no financial sense. I just loved him and knew that was all that mattered.

I still love him and we have built a good life together, but I wish 19 year old me understood the implications of marrying someone with so much financial baggage. I don't know if I would have made different choices but I wish I would have at least understood the long-lasting implications it would have on my life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Finance major with accounting minor. Sit for the CPA exam. Go into I Banking and have the CPA as a fall back plan.

Skip the accounting minor. Go for math or statistics with finance. Finance is becoming very quantitative and mathematically driven. My H runs a (small) quant portfolio and makes around ~ 750k. You can make a lot of money if you run a bigger fund obv.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Major in political science - work on Capitol Hill for a few years and become a lobbyist for big $$$. No STEM Required. Half our neighborhood is lobbyists with giant houses.

You don't need to be a poli sci major to become a lobbyist. Any major can become a lobbyist. It's not really skills that are needed to break in the door, it's connections.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Business or IT. You don't necessarily need an master's for IT. Tell him to keep off the drugs and stay clean and get a clearance.

I have a friend with no college degree who got started in IT out of the Navy. He has a clearance and has never been employed longer than three days. He makes good money, and if he doesn't like a job, he just finds a new one.

Sorry, I meant he has never been unemployed longer than three days!

Also, three days is an slightly exaggeration. But he can put his name out and be working again within a pay period. I've seen him do it multiple times now.

That's the magic of vet preference. Beltway bandits will grab you to get that for proposals, and sometimes you even get to be a figurehead partner she can be a vet own business. Can you nephew join the Coast Guard?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also seek out the premed hotties

Make sure to date for good earning potential too

I feel like this was sarcastic, but I am going to be honest here. I met my DH when I was 19 in college. At that point, I loved him and did not care that he was saddled with student debt, was going into education, and had a family with no financial sense. I just loved him and knew that was all that mattered.

I still love him and we have built a good life together, but I wish 19 year old me understood the implications of marrying someone with so much financial baggage. I don't know if I would have made different choices but I wish I would have at least understood the long-lasting implications it would have on my life.

Ah the age-old story of a woman wishing she had married a breadwinner. Why don't you are the big bucks you crave?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the kid just wants a comfortable life with a stable income, STEM is the way to go. But if he wants to be Richie Rich rich, school is not the answer.

I don't understand the obsession with STEM. Yes - they do start off doing well at age 22; a 22 yr old making 80k is a solid start. But am I the only one who knows engineer after engineer whose job was outsourced once they got into their 40-50s? It happens in every engineering field from mech to electrical to IT; there are countries where there are a lot of grads with very solid math skills -- companies like GE and many small players move entire projects to those companies bc they pay engineers there 30k/yr, instead of 100k to a 50 yr old here. Sure when an entire project requiring 50 engineers is outsource, only about 35-45 jobs will go and 5-15 will be retained here to "manage" the project -- but you're still playing a numbers game.

I think you are ill informed. Most engineers graduating in the US have excellent career prospects. It has always been this way. There is currently a shortage and always will be of US educated engineers, who can speak and write, and obtain a security clearance. Who do you think all of the govt contractors and the feds themselves hire? I am an BSEE VT graduate and have never had an issue with finding work...going on almost 50 now. Most of us with just the original BS EE, BS ME average annual salary close to $175K. I have several friends who own engineering/IT firms in the area and have approached colleges like VT, UVA, etc and have pledged they will hire every graduate of theirs with an engineering or computer science degree. In addition, if you are a girl pursuing an engineering degree, your are highly likely to secure the the most merit aid, particularly at private colleges.

Ok must just be the engineers I know bc I can think of at least a dozen who were laid off and had to hustle to get a job in Alabama and live in a commuter marriage so as not to rip their kids out of high school or had to "early retire." Of course I didn't grow up in an economically vibrant area like DC so maybe that plays in.

Yup you are in the minority. My company is chronically short of employees, and it has been like this for years. I don't know a single person whose engineering job has been outsourced.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If the kid just wants a comfortable life with a stable income, STEM is the way to go. But if he wants to be Richie Rich rich, school is not the answer.

I don't understand the obsession with STEM. Yes - they do start off doing well at age 22; a 22 yr old making 80k is a solid start. But am I the only one who knows engineer after engineer whose job was outsourced once they got into their 40-50s? It happens in every engineering field from mech to electrical to IT; there are countries where there are a lot of grads with very solid math skills -- companies like GE and many small players move entire projects to those companies bc they pay engineers there 30k/yr, instead of 100k to a 50 yr old here. Sure when an entire project requiring 50 engineers is outsource, only about 35-45 jobs will go and 5-15 will be retained here to "manage" the project -- but you're still playing a numbers game.

I think you are ill informed. Most engineers graduating in the US have excellent career prospects. It has always been this way. There is currently a shortage and always will be of US educated engineers, who can speak and write, and obtain a security clearance. Who do you think all of the govt contractors and the feds themselves hire? I am an BSEE VT graduate and have never had an issue with finding work...going on almost 50 now. Most of us with just the original BS EE, BS ME average annual salary close to $175K. I have several friends who own engineering/IT firms in the area and have approached colleges like VT, UVA, etc and have pledged they will hire every graduate of theirs with an engineering or computer science degree. In addition, if you are a girl pursuing an engineering degree, your are highly likely to secure the the most merit aid, particularly at private colleges.

Ok must just be the engineers I know bc I can think of at least a dozen who were laid off and had to hustle to get a job in Alabama and live in a commuter marriage so as not to rip their kids out of high school or had to "early retire." Of course I didn't grow up in an economically vibrant area like DC so maybe that plays in.

Yes. You are right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any kind of engineering job will give you decent income. Chemical engineering would probably be the highest paying, especially if you work for an oil or gas company. Software engineers have the most flexibility because you can live anywhere. FPGA designers are in high demand too.

Second previous posters who mentioned finance, but you do need the background in accounting as well. If you don't have the math, accounting, or computer science background you would need the old boys network to break in. It's very difficult to get an i-banking job without the right contacts and background. Read the book Pedigree).

Pharmacists also make decent money. If you don't mind being blue collar but do well for yourself, become a plumber. Female engineer here, and sometimes I think I should take up plumbing and work for myself

This is good advice, though the bolded seems outdated to me. Like advising someone to go into journalism in 2001.

http://www.mtu.edu/engineering/outreach/welcome/salary/

I know energy is down now but if you can manage to find a job in that sector you would be doing pretty well.

I'm not talking about a current dip, I'm talking about long-term trends. If the field will be greatly changed/shrunk/disappeared in 40 years, it's not a great bet. And even in the US, where people chant about wanting to drill and act like coal jobs were the height of aspirational employment, the trend is away from oil and gas.

40 years is a large time horizon. An 18 year old can still work his whole life in the field before becoming a dinosaur.

On top of that, oil and gas might be down now, but the world will always be hungry for energy. Those jobs will never disappear, and it will be a long time before we go away from fossil fuels completely..

[Anonymous]

My husband is in late 20s taking home 150k not including bonuses and sign on bonus and he is working from home. Cyber security software engineering is where it is at.